Hysterectomy age limit?

Question

I'm probably going to get a lot of **** for this because I'm only fifteen, but whatever. is there a limit as far as how young you can get a hysterectomy if the reason isn't a serious major health issue?

My periods have always been erratic, heavy, and extremely painful. I'm on birth control to regulate the time it happens, but that's only helped with that. [my last period before I started on the pill lasted at least four weeks...I lost count. and it was at least another month before I got the next. I've had multiple times where I've gone more than three months without a period, only to get punched in the gut with an even heavier one after. they've always been crazy like that, so the predictability is helpful to a point.] It hasn't helped with the intensity of the period, if that wording makes sense? It's always really heavy; as soon as I start bleeding it's a consistent heavy flow that makes it impossible for me to wear anything but an overnight pad at all and any times, and I have to change it every 2-3 hours. [dunno if that bit's normal or not.] The pain is the worst, though. I have heavy cramps that don't seem to let up until it's all done with; the ibuprofen label says to take one pill and if it doesn't help after a while you can take another. I take two pills off the bat, it takes maybe half an hour to kick in, and even then it hurts so badly that I've found myself wishing extraordinarily often that I could just rip out my uterus myself. [but that'd be bad, huh?] even beyond the cramps, not even the general all over aching really, it just hurts down there. [I feel weird using words right now, wtf brain?] I notice it especially when I use the bathroom; I don't really know how to describe it. When I wear tampons the cramping gets worse, so I can't take care of the flow that way. [and I'd still have to change it really frequently.]

So yeah, lately I've been considering getting a hysterectomy at some point, hopefully [relatively] soon? like within ten years at the latest. But I can't seem to find information on how old you have to be. I'm assuming you'd have to be of age to get one without needing permission from your parent/guardian, but is there an age limit as far as how young you can be if your parents are okay with it? If it's not a disease or fatal condition type thing, can you even get a hysterectomy before you're of age?
My parents probably wouldn't get me one so soon but I'd at least like information.

and as far as the having kids and "you don't know what you'll want", I'd take that as it comes. The ability to bear children is not worth living about a fourth of my life until menopause like this. I doubt I'd want kids anyway; currently, I don't think i'd be able to handle parenting at any point, but even if that changes, there are so many kids whose parents don't give a crap about them that I'd really rather adopt anyway. Their lives are already quite real, why make another to crowd the earth with? [I have a grudge with humanity taking over, sorry; I'm sensitive on certain topics.]

at this point I can't do much but i'm trying to get information. curious about the possibility and probability of getting one in this situation.

Q · Accepted Answer

That sounds awful. But saying a hysterectomy will solve your problems is like saying getting your legs cut off will solve your knee pain. Yeah, it will, but it's extreme and will cause more problems.  However, you presented your case really well and are clearly a really smart 15 year old. But there are a few other factors you haven't heard of, I think.

So, first of all: you need to see another doctor to get another opinion and more ideas. What your doctor has done--put you on the pill--isn't really helping enough. It's a pretty standard thing to do, so I'm not saying your doc is bad or anything, but I think there should be more exploration of exactly what is going on with your body, as well as trying other birth control pills to see if they're any better than the one you're on right now. A higher dose could be better. Or a continuous dose so you don't have a period at all. There are a lot of options in that area.

Second: use tampons. They'll help alleviate the problems you're having with the super-heavy period. You'll still have it, but tampons will make it less messy.

Third: Just to let you know why you should explore other options besides hysterectomy: very few doctors will perform this surgery before age 30. It's not an issue of parental consent. It's because not only due to the reproduction considerations, but also because of the various problems a hysterectomy causes. It damages flow to your ovaries so they tend to stop working rather early--within a few  years, or could be 10 years, but still early. That has been shown to shorten your lifespan, with the younger you are at menopause if under 42, then the more significantly the lifespan is shortened. Possibly unless you use hormones, though hormones aren't as good as your own hormones. Then, the uterus is very muscular and helps keep your internal organs in place. With it gone, you could have weakness in your abdomen, giving you back problems, incontinence issues,  and problems lifting anything moderately heavy causing pain. There's a good chance it will have negative impacts on your sexual pleasure, too. And if your ovaries fail, you are at high risk of osteoporosis. 

I think you should put aside the idea of hysterectomy for now, because it's just not going to happen--no one will do it. Instead, focus attention on getting a doctor to deal with these problems in other ways.

Anonymous · Answer

I had the very same problem before I had my son n now I have the implant but it was put in at the wrong time so now I get a constant painful period with maybe 4days break every 2-3 months I am going to get my implant took out but my friend had hers put in at the right time (first day of your period) and hers stopped completely for 6months And now she has them every 5-6 months for about 3 days very very light and no pain only problem is I think you have to be 16 to get it. 
Oh and to answer your original question the age limit is either 18 or 21
Hope you get sorted.

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Hysterectomy age limit?

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